Biosensing technologies for foodborne pathogen detection and healthcare: principles, emerging materials, and intelligent platforms

Foodborne pathogens such as Escherichia coli (E. Coli), Salmonella, and Listeria monocytogenes continue to pose a major potential threat to global public health and therefore rapid, accurate, and field-deployable detection methods are still extremely desirable. This review describes cutting-edge examples of advanced biosensing platforms for the strategy of detecting these priority pathogens, focusing on clinical detection and highlighting electrochemical, optical, and microfluidic sensing modalities. This has been enabled by recent advances in functional nanomaterials, molecular recognition elements (including aptamers and nanozymes), and surface engineering strategies rendering sensors much ‘smarter’/improved in terms of sensitivity, specificity, and behaviour towards complex food matrices. However blending these biosensors with artificial intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) enabled intelligent pattern recognition, real-time analytics, and multiplexing at high-speed, turning traditional detection systems into smart diagnostic devices. We critically review recent case studies in light of biosensor design, signal transduction mechanisms, models of AI, performance validation, and applicability in different food environments. The principal challenges are identified which include matrix interference, instability of biorecognition elements, limitations in scalability, and the need for regulatory standardization. We discuss these with associated mitigation strategies that are technically sound, including ratiometric sensing, microfluidic pre-treatment techniques, explainable AI, and printable electronics. Forward-looking, we discuss biosensors enabled by being self-powered, biosensor hubs with modular pathogen panels, blockchain incorporation, and standardized validation pipelines. This review offers a prospective view toward enabling intelligent, robust, and regulation-ready biosensing platforms for next-generation food safety monitoring through the bridging of technological innovations with practical implementation.